


Discoveries

by TheBlueMistress



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-07
Updated: 2020-07-19
Packaged: 2021-03-04 07:27:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 19,688
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24589807
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheBlueMistress/pseuds/TheBlueMistress
Summary: Loki and Anthony end up on the same side, both living at Stark Tower. And Tony seems quite determinded to keep propositioning Loki. What is going on here?
Relationships: Loki/Tony Stark
Comments: 19
Kudos: 137





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first ever story about Tony and Loki, so please let me know what you think of it.

**Chapter One**

  
A low, rumbling sounds is all the warning Loki gets before things start going wrong.

  
The Asgardian hisses as a piece of glass slices across his cheek. His quick reflexes have so far saved him from greater harm, but he knows that can’t last. Even with a Hulk on their side the enemy they’re facing is too powerful for them all to escape unscathed.

  
He sees Thor throw Mjolnir, hears the Captain and the Widow scream as they fight. He shakes his head. How did he end up in this fight that wasn’t his again? His brother, of course. Thor never can do anything right, after all.

  
Five months ago Thor took him from his prison on Asgard. He said that he didn’t believe that Loki’s punishment for his past crimes should last forever. He told Loki that he believed in second chances. Therefore, he offered Loki a choice. Remain in prison for perhaps the rest of his life, or show everyone that he wasn’t truly as murderous and untrustworthy as they thought.

  
There hadn’t been much of a choice for Loki. He had immediately know which one he preferred and had agreed to redeem himself. So what if he’ll undoubtedly fail anyway, he at least is out of prison and can make enough plans to escape his brother’s clutches when Thor least expects it. It makes him snigger to think of how gullible Thor truly is.  
“Hulk, behind you!” Loki shouts at the green creature when he focusses of the fight again.

  
Hulk growl, which could mean he’s thanking Loki or is very annoyed with him, but turns and lashes out in the direction Loki directed him to. The resulting thud pleases Loki and he grins at Banner’s alter ego. Hulk bares his teeth in what Loki believes to be a grin, so it seems he does appreciate being told what he does is useful. Banner and the Hulk really are much more alike than Banner would like to believe.

  
“Try harder to keep them at bay or destroy them, brother, or this fight will last forever,” he sneers at Thor in passing. He can’t help the jibe at his brother’s expense but then again it’s something they’ve always done in battle so he knows he can get away with it.

  
The cut on his face burns, but Loki relishes in the pain. Pain’s an old friend, and it’s never failed him. It often helps him focus as well. But he does wipe away the blood that continues to trickle from the small wound. The red stains on his fingers are easily ignored as he pulls two knives and throws them at the attackers.

  
At the same moment one of the archer’s arrows flies past, barely missing him. He shoots Clint a look that’s a mixture between amusement, anger and annoyance. If he was any less of a good shot, Loki would be having his hide for this by now, but he lets it slide. Just this once, though, as the situation warrants the action.

  
He continues to stab, fling knives and kick at the attackers still swarming around them. But slowly, it seems, their numbers are dwindling. He is making his way to where most of the Avengers are fighting, which would have been impossible a while ago. Thor and Hulk, who both were far out as well, are moving closer with him. Of course that means the three of them are herding the creatures that were the closest to the civilians toward the others, centring the fight once more.

  
In his youth, Loki enjoyed a good fight. Stabbing his brother for fun, fistfights, tricking other into fistfights, tripping people up, they were all things he found great fun in doing. If there was blood involved, he liked it even more. But now that he’s seen so many different things, his interests seem to have changed.

  
Oh, tricking people is still highly enjoyable. And he does still occasionally stab his brother. But the fighting for fun is no longer as high up on his list of priorities as it once was. He would still like to rule a planet of his own, but he’s started to consider a few alternative options to achieve that goal.

  
But Loki has to stash those thoughts away for later when he sees the turmoil still needing to be cleaned up. He sighs, and focusses his magic. Suddenly there are three of him, all holding the exact same knife. But when he throws his own, his illusions throw theirs in different directions. And even his illusions can cause bodily harm. He discovered that when he learnt that magic was not simply about power but also about skill and intent. And right now he is intending to harm.

  
“Nice one, Reindeer Games!” Stark praises as he flies past in the suit with one of the creatures grabbed by its neck and then proceeds to drop it to the ground meters below.  
Tony apparently likes giving people nicknames. Banner is his science bro, Hulk is the mean green rage machine, Thor is Point Break and it seems he will forever be Reindeer Games. Not for the first time he wishes he had been wearing anything but the helmet when they met so he might have been given a better nickname.

  
He bites back a growl but can’t help giving Stark what the man refers to as his bitch face. And he doesn’t even care. He deserves some respect at least and he vows to get that through Stark’s thick skull one way or another.

  
At that moment the Captain’s shield flies by, followed a second later by the man himself. The fight has taken its toll on the soldier as well, there’s quite a bruise on his left cheek and his lip is split. Not surprising as he was on the front lines from the start. But at least those seem to be his only injuries.

  
Loki kicks an attacker in the gut and breaks his neck with a snap. They’re coming out of this better than he was anticipating. Perhaps he has in fact been underestimating their strength so far. Or perhaps their resilience, he concedes as an afterthought.

  
A strange sensation makes Loki suddenly spin around. The biggest creature so far is coursing at Stark at full speed. For its size, it’s covering ground far faster than Loki thinks it should be able to. Since Stark is too focussed on the other creatures already giving him trouble he hasn’t noticed. He’s firing shots rapidly, diving and punching almost wildly. It seems even his AI (if Loki remembers correctly that disembodied voice is named J.A.R.V.I.S) hasn’t even seen this thing yet. Loki makes a split second decision and starts to run towards Iron Man as fast as he can.

  
“Stark, get out of there!” he shouts as he pushes past three of the creatures. His knives draw blood but he doesn’t stop to see of it’s deadly. If he lets Anthony Stark die at the hands of that thing he’ll never hear the end of it. And, well, if Stark happens to be the only Avenger he doesn’t feel like murdering all of the time that might be helping as well.  
His elbow almost elegantly collides with the throat of one of his attackers. The resulting moan makes him grin as he keeps running. He tries to be as fast as he can. He doesn’t think there’s ever been a better motivator, risking going back to jail certainly spurs him on greatly. But he still feels like he’s much slower than he should be.

  
And then, faith strikes. The creature roars, making Stark turn around. The surprise is evident on his face despite the distance. Loki sees him raise his hands and hears him raise his voice in a command he can’t quite hear. Loki sees Stark turn slightly at the moment of impact, as if he tries to get away but to no avail.

  
Loki’s now close enough to hear Stark scream, obviously in pain. And as if that wasn’t enough, one of the creatures extremities (arms perhaps, Loki thinks) collides with his entire back and crashes him into the concrete pillar of the nearest building. The resulting sound is such a horrible one Loki cannot help but flinch.

  
“Stark’s down. I’m nearest to him. Get to that thing as fast as you can and bring it down, brother!” Loki grouses through his communication devise, courtesy of Stark.  
Finally, he reaches Stark. Uncaring of proper ceremony he crouches down and removes Stark’s faceplate immediately. He releases a small breath upon finding that the man is in fact breathing. But there’s blood trickling from his nose. His breathing is rather shallow and seems laboured. There’s bruising starting to form along the left side of his throat as well, which tells Loki this damn creature got in an even better blow than the trickster anticipated.

  
It’s impossible to assess any other injuries properly with the suit still on. But Loki isn’t entirely sure removing it here is the best choice either. The suit might help keep Stark immobilised, especially with Stark’s AI in there, which could minimise the risk of worsening the aforementioned injuries.

  
“Hmpf. Very well then…. I hope I get this right,” Loki mutters.

  
He then carefully taps him fingers against the side of Stark’s helmet twice in rapid succession. He doesn’t know if it will work, but he dares to hope he might get J.A.R.V.I.S’ attention. It seems more polite than screaming at it, although Loki doesn’t know why he suddenly seems to care about the disembodies voice’s opinion about him.

  
“J.A.R.V.I.S, can you hear me? I need you to tell me all you can about Stark’s injuries and how I may assist him until medical help arrives,” Loki says, still letting his gaze travel the entirety of Stark’s body in an attempt to gather all possible information.

  
“Sir has three fractures ribs on his left side. His left elbow has a hairline fracture and he is suffering from a mild concussion. His right wrist is fractured. There is no internal bleeding, but Sir’s left side will be sore and severely bruised for a few weeks due to his collision with the wall. The ribs will take between six and eight weeks to heal completely. He is also currently unconscious and his respiratory and heart rate are far lower than they should be,” J.A.R.V.I.S’ voice replies immediately.

  
Loki rolls his eyes at Stark’s stupidity. These injuries could have killed him already if they’d been only slightly worse. They might still prove hard to recover from since being unconscious is never a good sign in Loki’s book.

  
“And my second question?” Loki asks, letting his impatience colour his voice slightly. His limited interaction with the AI has told him it seems capable of picking up on emotions when spoken to.

  
“Sir needs to be taken to the med bay at the Avenger’s Tower immediately, mister Loki. It is of the utmost importance that he receive medical attention and he greatly dislikes the hospital. If at all possible, the two of us should transport him,” J.A.R.V.I.S states, not really telling Loki anything new. He squares his shoulders.

  
“Tell me what to do and I’ll help you. You will alert the personnel in the med bay that we are arriving as well?” Loki requests.

  
“Certainly, Mister Loki. They will be ready for us when we arrive. I will give them the list of injuries as well to ensure a quick resolution. I need you to assist me in securing Sir’s neck, Mister Loki. The suit will obey my commands but it is still wired to Sir’s needs. If he were to wake up we must ensure he does not override my commands with his own in fear of aggravating his injuries or creating new ones. Also secure the broken wrist if you please. That way we should get Sir to the med bay as safely as possible. Can you use your magic and fly with me and do those things?” J.A.R.V.I.S asks.

  
Not knowing why, Loki simply nods. He shifts positions slightly and allows his magic to curl around his hands. He then carefully cups Stark’s neck with one, using the power to help stabilise it. He slowly but steadily places his fingers around Stark’s wrist. This, he could to without magic but he feels it’s better to be safe than sorry. He then allows his powers to flow around Starks completely, creating a sort of cushion on which Stark can be transported. 

  
A sudden soft hum from the suit is all the warning Loki gets before J.A.R.V.I.S adds his own powers to the mix. Loki hears the soft clicks he thinks mean the AI has locked the joints of the suit so they cannot move. Loki now lets his magic lift the suit with the aid of the AI. The progress is slow, but he considers it safer and quicker than the other options considering what’s going on out here.

  
“Captain, Stark is down. J.A.R.V.I.S and I are taking him to the med bay in the tower. Rid the people of these creatures and then join us there,” he says through the com piece, not caring about his obvious disregard for the authority of the Avengers team.

  
Together they have managed to get Stark out of harm’s way enough to ensure a relatively safe path towards the tower. Loki’s heart beats faster than it should, but he doesn’t know why. All he wants is to see some of the doctors and nurses who’ll be taking care of Stark.

  
“Everyone is ready for us. They have opened one of the terrace doors for easy access. Follow my lead, we’ll be there shortly,” J.A.R.V.I.S finally says.

  
And indeed they find themselves in the building and surrounded by medical personnel. They are lead to a large room where medical supplies are standing at the ready. Gloves, bandages, bags with fluids or medications Loki doesn’t care to name. And in the middle of the room is the bed they’re supposed to deposit Stark in.

  
“Slowly and steady now, J.A.R.V.I.S. On my count of three we transfer his body to the bed. I slide him forward and keep him perfectly level, you’re responsible for monitoring him and guiding the suit with me. Agreed?” Loki asks.

  
“Agreed,” J.A.R.V.I.S immediately says.

  
Without waiting for consent, they execute their manoeuvre. Loki is surprised at how fluently he’s worked together with this disembodies voice of Stark’s. He’s not normally much of a team player after all. There’s little time to think about it, though, as he finally retracts his magic back into himself. He hasn’t shown it to these people, has been hiding it from any view. He does that every time these days. He learnt at a young age that nobody really likes his magic much, after all.

  
“Thank you, we would’ve had a bunch of trouble getting him here if you hadn’t been able to help J.A.R.V.I.S.,” the doctor says just as Loki finally backs away from the bed.  
“I’m here to assist in any way possible,” Loki lightly sneers, choosing to let some of his unhappiness at being barely more than an extra weapon for the Avengers out.

  
The doctor simply nods and Loki finds himself being ushered out of the room. The hallways feels empty and too white, weird smells permeating his nose and nearly making his eyes water. There’s not enough room and not enough ways to separate him from potential passers-by at the same time. Loki doesn’t know why he suddenly feels so uneasy, restless.

  
“There’s a small, more comfortable waiting area at the end of the hallways to your right, Mister Loki. It will take a while before doctor Williams is done with her own assessment and has provided all the care she can,” J.A.R.V.I.S suddenly says.

  
Loki realises that the AI is speaking through the com in his ear, and not from the walls as he’s known to do in the tower. For the moment he’s thankful for the small amount of privacy that grants him. He’s always kept to himself mostly, perhaps Stark wasn’t lying when he said J.A.R.V.I.S reads people very well.

  
He reaches the room the AI mentioned. There are comfortable chairs, and a small cupboard containing pillows and blankets. It’s obvious the room is meant to cater to both those passing through and spending quite a while waiting for answers about their friends’ health. Or perhaps their loved ones, Loki muses. After all, having worked so closely together for so long these people must see each other as family. And perhaps some have even developed a deeper bond than that.

  
Sighing, Loki grabs a cushion and walks towards a chair. He finds a comfortable position. He might be here a while, since the Avengers haven’t returned yet and they would be furious with him if he simply abandoned their friend here.

  
Not that it would sit well with Loki himself. Stark is the only Avenger who treats him normally. Stark bickers with him, teases him, gives him nicknames, grouses at him just the same as he does with everyone else. Most days Loki can’t decide whether that’s because Stark’s giving him an undeserved second chance or whether the man just doesn’t have any other way of dealing with people. But he realises he’s begun to appreciate this about Stark. Although he has been called a trickster and a liar, Loki has developed other tendencies throughout the year. He’ll never stop being the biggest trickster, though, he smiles to himself.

  
Sudden footsteps alert him to the presence of other. It turns out the doctor is finished with Stark at last. Her face looks a little tired but not too worried, so Loki allows himself to breathe a sigh of relief already.

  
“Mister Stark woke up as we were working on him a little while ago. I’m glad to tell you he will be completely fine in six to eight weeks. His ribs will be painful for most of that recovery, so he’s under some heavy pain relief right now. I’ll be prescribing some pain relief for him to take when he leaves the wing in a few days. We took some X-rays of the fractures to his ribs but they’re not quite as extensive and bad as we feared. His wrist fracture was pretty severe, but it didn’t need a metal plate. We were able to set the bone and gave him a cast. And he’s been asking for you. If you take him up on his request to visit, I’d like you to be in and out very fast. He needs to rest to recover,” doctor Williams says, a slight smile on her face.

  
Loki nods and is on his feet as soon as she stops speaking. He walks towards the room Stark’s in without hesitation, knowing J.A.R.V.I.S would guide him if necessary. He takes a second to knock on the door but pushes it open before he can hear permission being given. Stark asked him to come, after all.

  
“You look even worse than when I brought you here,” Loki says as soon as he sees Stark’s face. Pale, greyish, unhealthy to use the kindest of ways to describe it.

  
Stark chuckles lightly, obviously still hindered by the pain despite the medication. Perhaps it hasn’t had enough time to start working yet, or more likely Stark is pretending to feel better than he does to be able to leave here sooner. Loki knows he would to the same thing. Has done that multiple times when he was younger, in fact.

  
“Nice to see you too, Reindeer Games. J.A.R.V.I.S told me you two got me out and made sure the monsters didn’t get me, so I wanted to thank you,” Stark tells him.  
“I couldn’t very well leave you to die now, could I? I would have been back in my cell sooner than I could take my next breath,” Loki brushes it off.

  
He sees Stark’s gaze settle on him. The haze from the pain killers is obvious in those orbs, as is the residual pain he’s still in. But there’s more in there Loki isn’t capable of naming. He would need to spend more time with Stark for that. And he plans to not be spending too much more time here on Midgard. Freedom is lurking.

  
Stark smirks but then bends almost double, his hand flying to his ribs as he groans. For some reason Loki finds it unpleasant to see and for a second he wishes he could help. He shakes his head almost imperceptibly. What is going on with him today?

  
He moves closer to the bed and places his arms around Stark’s back. Slowly, he helps Stark sit back against the pillows. The man still has his eyes closed and he’s not moving. But as Loki makes to move away and call for a nurse, Stark’s hand closes around his. His grip is almost painful but it does make Loki turn back towards him.

  
“Are you finally alright again?” Loki mutters unhappily as Stark’s hold on his hand becomes less restrictive after a few minutes.

  
He’s feeling out of his depth. He’s not one for touching but he can’t seem to let go of Stark either. And his heart is racing, and he thinks what he’s feeling might be worry for the human. It’s rather unnerving. Stark’s looking more like his normal self by now, his colour returning slightly. And what he says next tells Loki more than anything that there’s no more need for worry.

  
“The only thing that’ll make me feel alright is for the pain to go away. Fancy lending me a hand with that? They say orgasms are the best form of pain relief currently available,” Stark says, a glitter in his eye and a smile pulling at his face.

  
Loki is taken aback for a second that the man can joke at a time like this, but he knows Stark well enough to accept this as normal. And he’s known to be quite the playboy, although Loki’s seen less evidence off that lately.

  
“Trust me, Stark, I like my partners to be more active than you could ever be at this point. You’re going to have to find another victim,” Loki widely grins.  
And with a wave of his hand, he twirls around and leaves the room. He thinks he can hear Stark laugh at what he said, and he can’t help but feel wonderful about the banter as always.

  
But a small part of him can’t help but think: did Anthony Stark really just proposition him from his hospital bed? What is going on here?

  
Loki groans. He does not have the time to think about this now. But he can’t help but wonder why his life can’t just be easy occasionally…


	2. Chapter Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loki's meditating when J.A.R.V.I.S. tells him Stark needs to see him. As exptected, trouble begins to brew...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hey, readers! I hope you'll enjoy the chapter. Please let me know what you thought of it.
> 
> Disclaimer: I'm just borrowing and playing with these characters, I don't own them.

**Chapter Two**

That evening, Loki decides to do some yoga. Spending the entire day with Thor has made him more than a little irritable, there’s something going on with his brother and he’s been even more annoying than usual because if it. Even though Thor’s been back in Asgard for close to two months he still checks in on Loki daily. And every once in a while he gets under Loki’s skin so much that it makes the Trickster want to strangle him. This will be the perfect way to relax. So inside his appointed bedroom, he sinks down onto the plush carpet and breathes deeply.

He folds his legs comfortably, placing his hands on his knees with his palms up. He starts with some breathing exercises to settle down somewhat. A great calmness falls over him, his frayed nerves finding peace and quiet. Slowly, his mind becomes empty and he focusses on nothing but the feeling of his breath.

Then, he begins a slow moving meditation, as people on Midgard would call it. A comforting fatigue settles in his muscles and mind as times goes by. Each pose drains more of his energy, which is exactly what he needs. There are no thoughts, no problems and no worries as he gracefully bends, stretches and moves.

Finally, he lays down on the carpet. He stretches his legs slowly, then his arms. He closes his eyes as his open palms touch the ground. Corpse pose, to quite a few practitioners the hardest pose there is. But to Loki, it’s the most calming and comforting one. It’s the one pose he never skips, that always helps him release his pent up energy and frustration.

Just as he is ready to finally accept the peacefulness, a soft sounds comes from above him. It’s a sort of throat scratch but also not quite the same. Not to mention there’s no one there with him. Which obviously means…

“Yes, J.A.R.V.I.S?” Loki says, his voice deceptively calm despite his annoyance at having been disturbed.

Not that it matters. Stark’s AI will probably literally read it in his voice, there’s nothing you can hide from it. And J.A.R.V.I.S likes learning new things, or so Loki’s heard. It’s too smart for its own good, really. Or should he say “he”? Loki’s not entirely sure about that, he’s never asked either Stark or the AI about it.

“I’m sorry to disturb you this evening, Mister Loki, but your presence is required in Sir’s living room,” J.A.R.V.I.S tells him.

“Hmm, are you sure you’re sorry? I thought you rather enjoyed trying to order me about a little,” Loki replies, grinning as he knows the AI can see it.

“You have a point there, Mister Loki. It is rather nice to see you do things someone else tells you to do,” J.A.R.V.I.S concedes. Loki is certain the smugness he hears in the AI’s voice is nowhere near imagined.

Still smirking, he leaves his bedroom. He likes his small conversations with J.A.R.V.I.S a lot. It’s like the AI judges him on everything he’s done, choosing to look further than simply his invasion of New York with the Chitauri army. It’s pleasant to be seen truly as a trickster, living and complex being and not simply a nuisance or enemy, really.

Stark views him much the same way, it seems. The man takes into account the things Loki has done since the invasion. Stark hasn’t forgiven him, of course. Probably never will, and Loki doesn’t expect it either. But at least he’s treating him somewhat warmer than could be expected. Maybe J.A.R.V.I.S takes more clues from his “Sir” than either one of them realise.

Soon enough, Loki reaches the elevator. He doesn’t even need to push any buttons when he steps in, the elevator just starts to move. He lightly inclines his head in thanks and gets a soft beep from somewhere in return. Another nice thing about Stark’s AI is that he doesn’t always needs words. A look or gesture is often enough.

Stark is much the same way. If Loki waves a hand or shrugs in a certain way, it’s usually enough to convey the meaning he wishes to. It’s a nice change to having to explain things a thousand times to his brother, one of the things that has set him so on edge today as well.

The things is, Loki uses words to get what he wants all the time. He uses them to appease, to trick, to achieve. But words are dangerous so he prefers to not use any more than he strictly has to lest he call trouble on himself with them. He thinks Stark may understand the danger of words just as much as he does, though neither one seems very likely to breach the subject. At least not yet.

Suddenly, there is a soft ding. The elevator stops moving and the doors slide open. The hallway is dark, but a tiny light flickers in from somewhere. Loki isn’t sure why J.A.R.V.I.S. doesn’t simply turn on the lights properly. However, a part of him thinks it might not be the right time to ask.

Loki makes his way to the door at the end of the short hallway now. When he opens it, he is yet again greeted by darkness. J.A.R.V.I.S. doesn’t help him out at all this time, though. Something tingles at the back of his mind but he can’t quite make out what it is.

He pushes on and steps inside properly. Giving his eyes a second to adjust, Loki tries to gather as much information as he can by listening. But that isn’t a lot. The television is off, there’s no radio and no J.A.R.V.I.S. either. He can’t hear a single sign Stark is even here. But the AI sent him here, so he has to be, right?

Within half a minute, Loki feels safe to start moving. He decides to walk to the couches at the far side of the room. It seems one of the most likely places Stark could be, despite the seeming emptiness. His footsteps sound too loud for his own comfort, but he reaches the couch without bumping into anything.

When he reaches his destination, he indeed finds Stark. He has his back turned to Loki and isn’t moving. The man doesn’t respond to his presence at all, in fact, and Loki is starting to believe Stark is ignoring him on purpose. But he was asked to come here, so he supposes he has to find out why. Better get on with it then, he assumes.

“J.A.R.V.I.S. can you turn on some light in here? Nothing too bright, if you please,” Loki politely asks.

He’s not too interested in doing this in the dark, after all. Most of his life he’s hidden and played around in the dark, with Stark he doesn’t feel the need to. Especially in this situation where something weird is going on. He needs to shine a light on this both literally and figuratively, it seems.

One of Stark’s lamps begins to glow. The barely there glow is only just enough for Loki to see anything, but Stark seems to retreat even further into the couch cushions. He seems to be hiding, from the light, from Loki or both, much like a small child. It makes Loki feel uneasy and worried, two emotions he’s very unfamiliar with. So he pushes them down. There’ll be time to figure it all out later.

“Thank you, J.A.R.V.I.S.,” Loki says, and then turns his entire focus on the man on the couch in front of him.

He sinks down on the floor in front of the couch. His instinct tells him Stark won’t be too happy if he were to sit down beside him. He then leans back slightly against the coffee table. This way there is some space between them but Stark won’t be able to ignore the fact he’s there.

Seconds turn into minutes, minutes turn into hours. Loki thinks Stark should be getting tired but there’s no sign the man is even relaxing. He isn’t entirely sure if he should be doing or saying anything, but he fears that if he speaks or acts he’ll make a mistake. So he waits as patiently as he can for Stark to make the first move. And eventually, he does.

“You’re really not going to leave, are you?” Stark grumbles after three hours of silently sitting in the near darkness.

“Nope,” Loki simply says, popping his “p” a little to convey his truthfulness. It’s not a word he normally uses, but in this situation it’s the only one that fits.

With a grumbled sound Stark finally pushes himself up on the couch. His hair is standing on end, there’s a reddish line on his face where he pressed it into the pillow. And his eyes are slightly wet and also red. It hits Loki that he’s been crying, and he hadn’t wanted the God to notice.

That fact is the only reason Loki foregoes chastising himself for not realising that’s what was happening. He knows all too well how it feels to want to hide tears. As a youth he did this quite often himself, and perfected the art as his brother had an uncanny ability to find out about everything. And then he would say the exact wrong thing and make things worse, as he still does these days. Well, most of the time, Loki begrudgingly admits.

“So, J.A.R.V.I.S. called you even though I told him I just wanted to be alone for a while and you came straight away,” Stark states now that he’s gotten himself somewhat more comfortable.

“He didn’t tell me anything about what happened or was going on at the time, Stark. He simply stated my presence was required. As I’ve told you many time, I do as I’m told to keep myself out of jail,” he says with a small shrug of his shoulders.

The corner of Stark’s mouth trembles a little at that, as if he wants to smile but doesn’t have to energy just yet. Loki takes that to mean he’s doing something right and that his patience is being rewarded.

“Well, he does have a penchant for leaving out information when it’s convenient. Or beneficial to himself or me. Not sure which he was hoping for here,” Stark says as he rubs his hand across his face.

Loki is very sure the AI wanted to help Stark and not himself this time, but he holds his tongue about that at that moment. Instead he shifts slightly closer to Stark as he stretches his legs.

“Have you eaten anything at all today, Stark? You look hungry if you don’t mind me saying,” Loki steers the conversation away from the AI and hopefully onto some territory that’s easier to navigate.

He hopes that by getting food into the man, Stark will feel slightly better and perhaps be able to get at least some sleep. He remembers that his mother always told him that feeding both body and mind was the key to a happy life. He ended up finding that it actually did more for his peaceful nights than his peaceful days, so he hopes it’ll help Stark as much as it did him.

“Sir has not, Mister Loki. I advise you get some food into him as you are more capable of that than I am,” the AI sweetly says from somewhere above him.

“Well then, I suppose I shall make us both a sandwich. There’s no way I’m cooking anything at this time at night and sitting on your floor for three hours made me rather peckish,” Loki stated before Stark can complain or protest.

The words also have another albeit not unpleasant effect: they shock Stark into silence. The man’s mouth refuses to shut for a solid five minutes at least while he watches Loki retrieve all the ingredients he needs.

“Would you prefer to stay on your couch or move to the table to eat?” Loki asks as he places the now finishes sandwiches on two plates.

“Uh, I’ll come to the table. If you’re eating with me I’d hate to have you sit on the couch to do it, Reindeer Games,” Starks says, now finally smiling fully for the first time since Loki arrived.

It makes Loki breathe a little more freely. If Stark is already feeling better, he has a chance of being as helpful as the AI seems to think he’ll be. And that can only mean his brother will think more highly of him. Which might make him check in on Loki less, granting him more of a chance to escape.

“I assure you I can eat almost anywhere provided I’m hungry enough. I’m not quite as much of a brute as my brother but a couch is not nearly the worst place to enjoy some food,” Loki says, letting a small smile grace his features.

That earns him a headshake accompanied by the same tiny smile as before from the engineer. Together, they sit down at the table. As Loki sees Stark look at the sandwich he prepares, he prepares for more grumbling. After all, despite the meat he also put some salad, tomatoes and cucumber on them. But the engineer simple picks up the bread and starts eating.

“Thanks, Loki. I mean, you didn’t have to do any of this. I’m not the greatest guy and I haven’t been good company tonight, but you stayed. So… thank you,” Starks repeats, looking Loki right in the eye.

For a second, Loki is taken aback by all of this. He wasn’t expecting thanks, it’s not something he was every truly giving back on Asgard. Before saying anything, he extends his hand and picks up Stark’s plate as well, depositing both in the sink.

“Stark, you must be joking. Not the greatest guy? You’re the only Avenger who hasn’t been too thoroughly upset that Thor brought me back to Midgard. You’re the only one of your group who treats me the exact same as all the others. You are the only one who seems not to mind spending time with me. If you ask me that makes you the greatest guy here,” Loki says, surprising himself with how fierce he sounds.

And for the second time that night, Loki’s words have an unexpected effect. Only this time it’s not as pleasant as the first time. Stark’s breath hitches and tears appear in his eyes. Loki doesn’t know how to handle this, especially when Stark closes his eyes tightly and a few tears escape.

But then, he places his hand on the table. When Stark reopens his eyes and brushes away the tears, he places his own beside it, nearly touching their fingertips together. It’s closer than Loki’s been with anyone in a while and it unsettles him slightly that he was the one to instigate this. He’s grateful Stark’s not taking anything more than he’s willing to offer, but on the other hand he wasn’t really expecting him to either.

“I’m sorry for being so emotional. Really. But… Things haven’t been going too well with the Avengers lately. You weren’t here enough to notice it and I didn’t really want to drag you into it but now you’re here and…” Starks rambles.

“Stark. It’s alright. Just take a deep breath and start at the beginning if you please. I find your rambling to be utterly annoying,” Loki says, frowning slightly.

By the way Starks eyes shine a little, though, Loki knows the man understands exactly what he meant to say and is not offended. Which is further confirmed by the way Stark does what Loki told him without any resistance.

“A few months ago, a woman approached me. Misses Spencer. She told me about her son, Charlie. He died, Loki. He died in Sokovia because the Avengers weren’t as careful as they could have been, didn’t care enough about the innocent victims. She blamed me, of course, which I can understand. I’m the one with the most contact to the large public, the one who never hides. And you know what? She was right to do that,” Stark says.

Loki can hardly believe the route this conversation is taking. He feels very angry that this woman thinks Stark doesn’t care about the victims at all, and even worse that Stark seems to think the same thing when even Loki knows that’s not the case. But he simply cocks his head to show he’s listening.

“I have all this money. I could have used it to ensure people’s homes were rebuilt, could have used it to invent stuff to ensure their safety. I talked to the others about it, obviously. I pointed out that it was time we were held accountable for the mistakes we made. And of course, as if I wasn’t feeling horrible enough, Captain America decided that meant I was suggesting only following the rules of the government, resigning all our freedom,” Stark bitterly says.

Loki can vaguely see why the Captain would have assumed that at first. He even thinks that many would have made that assumption. After these couple of months living in the Tower with Stark and having spent quite some time with him, he doesn’t think Stark could ever be such a true conformer, however.

“I didn’t mean that. I meant that we should arrange help for these people if we were responsible for any damage. That there should be times when the government tells us to man up and deal with the destruction when we lose sight of it. That perhaps we were like unguided projectiles doing more damage than we should because there was no one to tell us any different. We should still be able to make independent decisions, should have the final say in the importance of the matters we were looking at. But guidance and rules should be there to keep us on the straight and narrow a little,” Stark explains.

“I concede that if done right it might be beneficial, for the world as a whole and also the Avengers’ public image of course. But Captain America kept focussing on the loss of autonomy and caused trouble as always, I suppose,” Loki muses.

Stark lets his head drop down into his hands and nods slightly. The slumping and trembling of his shoulders tells Loki more tears are falling. This story hasn’t reached the end yet, it seems.

“We ended up splitting into two groups, Loki. A few of the team were on my side, but the others were with the Captain. They were so angry, so upset and they didn’t want to talk or listen anymore. We just… ended right then and there. If I’d just kept my mouth shut the Avengers would at least still be together…” Starks finally manages to squeeze out between the tears.

Loki places his other hand beside Stark’s on the table as well now. He doesn’t understand. This situation has gotten out of hand so quickly. Surely there could have been a chance of finding a middle ground? Odin and Thor might not be perfect but they still have managed to find a middle ground in most of the conflicts Asgard’s been in.

“It’s not your fault, Stark. Keeping quiet could have been detrimental to you, them and the protection of the world. And who knows, perhaps some or even most of them will change their mind in the long run,” Loki shrugs, not knowing what else to say.

Starks is now looking in Loki’s eyes again even as he wipes the tears away once more. His lip’s still trembling, his eyes are too wet for Loki’s liking. But there’s a watery smile again, for the third time that evening. And Loki is more than happy with that considering the circumstances. So he grants Stark one in return.

“Loki, I could just kiss you right now. Or, you know, do a hell of a lot more,” Stark says, making a suggesting wriggling motion with his eyebrows despite the redness and puffiness of his eyes.

Loki’s grin doesn’t falter, but his heart nearly stops in his chest. Stark is propositioning him again, just like he did a while ago. And just like then, in a situation where Loki was not at all expecting it. It’s no less unnerving as it was the first time, but for some reason Loki can hide his feelings better now.

“Oh, please Stark. You’re so tired you’d all asleep the second you hit the bed. I can’t have any fun that way now, can I? So I’m afraid I’ll pass for now,” Loki grins broadly as he can, his trickster persona rising to the top easily.

He then simply gets up and walks out of the room as if this conversation wasn’t the strangest that he’s ever had in his life. And come to think of it, it might really not have been, actually…


	3. Chapter Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Trouble arises in Stark Tower, and Loki is asked to help deal with it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I hope you'll enjoy this chapter. I'm just borrowing the characters.

**Chapter Three**

Something wakes Loki so absolutely and quickly that it surprises him. His senses are seemingly in overdrive, trying to pick up anything that could tell him what is going on. But he doesn’t immediately hear anything, and he can’t see anything out of the ordinary in the room either.

Before he can determine whether it’s best to try and go back to sleep, however, his decision is made for him. A small light beside the bedroom door goes on, not bright enough to blind him. And then, a voice speaks.

“Mister Loki, I’m glad to find you awake. I should like to request your presence in the main entrance hall. A situation has arisen that I think sir should not be handling on his own,” J.A.R.V.I.S. says.

Loki quirks an eyebrow at this. Stark is quite capable of standing his ground most of the time. Whatever’s happening must be bad if his AI is asking for Loki to back him up. Loki doesn’t know whether the decision to ask for his help is Stark’s or J.A.R.V.I.S.’ but the AI is perhaps even better at judging situations. It seems his senses had already picked up on whatever’s going on, which also makes Loki think that this could be serious.

Therefore, Loki swing his legs out of bed straight away and uses a little bit of magic to get his clothes on. The then steps out of the bedroom and walks over to the elevator. Like last time, the elevator takes Loki where he needs to go without the God having to do anything.

Impatience as always his biggest downfall, Thor likes to say. Normally, Loki disagrees with that. But right now his right foot is tapping rapidly against the floor, as if it will make the journey go faster.

J.A.R.V.I.S. is far too quiet for Loki’s liking. He’s used by now to the constant and surrounding presence of the disembodied voice, he’s enjoyed more than a few late night and early morning conversations with it. And J.A.R.V.I.S. seems to have an opinion on everything, which makes Loki’s days less boring when Stark’s working.

But now there’s no sneering, no advice or orders coming from the AI. It’s disconcerting, almost as if he’s off balance and he can’t make the world turn right side up no matter what he tries. But there’s always a reason for the things the AI says or does, and Loki plans to find out what it is eventually.

The elevator doors finally begin to open and Loki pushes through them as soon as he’s able. The main entrance isn’t far anymore and he’s more than ready to see why he’s been summoned so unceremoniously.

Before he can enter the hallway, though, he hears voices. One of them is definitely Tony’s. It’s harsher than Loki’s ever heard it, colder too. It’s loud, and the God assumes Stark must be close to shouting to be heard already.

The second voice he hears is recognisable, but he can’t quite place it. It doesn’t sound any happier than Stark’s, too loud and gritting. There is most likely an argument going on. A wide grin appears on Loki’s face. He’s ready to break that argument up nice and quickly, whoever’s bothering Stark won’t know what hit them.

As he pushed open the last door and enters the hallway, the scene in front of him surprises him as much as it immediately angers him. None other than Steve Rogers, Captain America, is standing right in before the door with a scowl on his face. He obviously greatly disagrees with whatever Stark has told him.

Loki schools his face into the perfectly calm impression, sauntering up to Stark without missing a step. He stops only when he’s about a centimetre away from Stark and almost nose to nose with Steve.

“What’s going on here? I was about to have a night-time walk because I couldn’t sleep and then I find this. Trouble to clear up,” Loki says, his eyes boring into Steve’s as his mouth twitches up into a deadly grin.

He’s not about to tell them he was woken up by their rude shouting. They shouldn’t have any reason to feel more powerful.

“Keep out of this, Loki. After everything you did on Earth you should still be in the prison in Asgard they threw you in. You probably escaped, we should let your brother know. Or we could just imprison you here,” Steve spits at Loki, eyes burning.

Loki’s grin widens further. By now, some of the other Rogues that have assembled are staring at Stark and him, but the deity doesn’t care. He bares his teeth at them and doesn’t back down.

“Thor knows where I am. In fact, he brought me here. I was given the opportunity to show I have changed. Much like you were given if I remember correctly, but you all chose to ignore it,” Loki menacingly says, his voice as cold as ice.

The effect is instantaneous. All of the Rogues fall quiet, not moving anymore. Steve’s eyes are murderous but Loki ignores it. He stares at Wanda, the Scarlett Witch. She averts her eyes almost immediately, as if she might feel ashamed. Scott Lange responds much the same, as if his confidence in the Captain is wavering. Loki can only hope it is; if they return to the Avengers and sign the Accords, they can form them so that they will protect the innocent without harming the Avengers themselves.

“Loki’s right. You had a second chance, I’m not giving you another until you’re ready to apologise profoundly and clean up your act. So you’d all better get out of here before I throw you out,” Stark growl, his hands clenched into fists.

Loki can see Stark’s trembling, but he doubts any of the others can see the small tremors coursing through him. He inches marginally closer as he continues to stare down the group of Rogues.

“Steve, come on. We should go, we’re obviously not welcome here. And I think we actually have caused enough trouble,” Lange murmurs, his eyes meeting Loki’s with less fear than the Asgardian would have normally expected.

Loki’s appreciation for the man is growing with every second. It seems the man has more people skills than most of the other Rogues combined. Loki remembers hearing that Lange has a daughter who loves her father very much, which has probably also made him consider the possibility of Lange being a better man than he’d thought. Taking a risk, Loki gives him an almost imperceptible nod of his head to show his appreciation.

Steve still looks mutinous, ready to lash out physically and mentally at everyone coming between him and the goal he’d set himself. But to Loki’s surprise, the Captain seemingly manages to calm himself down somewhat.

“You’ll see us again, Stark. We’ll still be fighting crimes despite all this so our roads our bound to cross,” Steve nearly growls.

The Captain shakes Lange’s hand from his shoulder and beckons the others to follow him as he quickly spins on his heels. One by one, the Rogues finally disappear. Lange is the last one to step outside, which for some reason does not surprise Loki anymore. The man even closes the door instead of slamming it, earning himself another point on Loki’s good list.

The silence that now falls in the hall is nearly deafening. And by the thundering look in Stark’s eyes, it will take a while before the man calms down. But he is taking long, deep breaths to speed up the process.

Loki sighs. The poor Midgardian has been through so much in his life and now this is happening. The Norns have not been kind to Stark at all. But maybe his life will be easier now that he’s had this fight. And maybe Loki can teach him to have a better taste in friends before he leaves. He’s stayed much longer than he’d planned already anyway.

“Well, I think I’ll forgo the midnight walk after all this ruckus. So distasteful. Do you mind if I pour over the books in your library before I retire for the night, Stark?” Loki asks, although he’s pretty sure of the answer already.

After all, Stark’s been giving him a pretty free reign of the Tower. And to Loki’s credit he’s not once tried to abuse that power until now. He hasn’t poked his nose were it doesn’t belong yet. Not that he hasn’t been tempted. The now empty rooms of the Rogues, Stark’s private quarters and the engineer’s lab all hold a certain appeal. But Loki’s manged to hold back.

“Knock yourself out, Reindeer Games. You seem to have a healthy respect for books so I’ll trust you not to destroy them. I’ll doubt you’ll find any of the books I own interesting, though,” Stark says doubtfully.

“I have an eclectic taste, Stark. I’m sure I’ll find something. And for the thousandth time, do not call me Reindeer Games. It’s quite insulting,” Loki says, letting his voice sound slightly haughty.

I he’s being completely honest he’s actually gotten very used to Stark using nicknames for him. Especially ‘Reindeer Games,’ which he had known would be a retuning one the second Stark used it the first time. By now he’s started to expect being called that at least once a day.

“Whatever you please, Lokes,” Stark then retorts, and Loki’s not entire sure that’s any better.

He decides not to respond and simply starts to walk out of the hallway. He really is too wide awake for sleeping at the moment. He has visited to tower’s library before but he hasn’t taken the time to properly explore it. Since he doesn’t feel tired in the least it might be a good way to spend his time.

Humming to himself, Loki finally reaches the room Stark calls his library. It’s quite large, thought it pales in comparison to the one in the palace on Asgard.

Loki calmly walks along the shelves filled with books. A large part of them are definitely Stark’s, books on robotics and all other things he’s interested in. But more to the back, Loki finds other types of books. He spots autobiographies at first, books on philosophy, novels… And then he sees something he wasn’t expecting. There are books about mythology. Egyptian mythology, books on the legend of King Arthur, Norse mythology…

It seems that Stark must have either always had an interest in it or he had gone in search of them when he first met Thor. Loki huffs. How accurate can these books really be? According to the literature Asgard, Thor and Loki were all figments of the people’s imagination, but he’s standing here, isn’t he?

Despite his doubts, he still lets his finger trace along the covers of the books. He’s always liked reading and he’s always been interested in how the Midgardians saw him. Perhaps it would be amusing at least to browse through the books on myths and legends Stark owns. And he could do with a distraction.

He settles in the couch in the far end of the room with the tome on Norse mythology in his hand. The couch is soft, the lighting is good and the quiet and calm atmosphere are doing wonders for Loki’s mood. He is quickly drawn in, forgetting all about the world.

For hours, Loki reads. His legs are tucked beneath him, his hair hangs along the sides of his face like a curtain. He smirks, raises his eyebrows, sighs indignantly and even laughs out loud at most of the things the author had written down. But there is a lot more that has been chronicled correctly (or close enough to it) to surprise Loki in a pleasant way. And the incorrect stuff is admittedly rather funny.

Suddenly, however, his peace and quiet is disturbed for the second time that evening. It makes him rather irritable. He’s grown fond of the undisturbed hours he can spend in the Tower, such a difference from when he had rooms so close to his brother. Especially when they were younger Thor could never leave Loki alone for long.

“Mister Loki, Sir needs some distraction quite urgently. He’s in the sporting hall trying to get rid of his pent up anger and failing miserably. In fact, I’m afraid he might only be making things worse,” J.A.R.V.I.S. says from somewhere along the ceiling.

Loki actually growls at that, but not as convincingly as he would have in the past. The AI’s words have not only annoyed Loki with the prospect of having to deal with Stark’s bad mood, they’ve also made him feel strangely sorry for Stark for the second time that evening. And that emotional connection made Loki feel ill at ease.

He has no idea where the connection has come from, or why it’s there. Truth be told, he’s also very unwilling to look too closely at it, almost unwilling to see exactly how deep it runs. Let alone whether it’s still growing.

“And that is my problem why, exactly?” Loki asks, a rough edge to his voice.

“Because you are Sir’s friend, Mister Loki, and friends look out for one another,” J.A.R.V.I.S. simply states.

Loki opens his mouth to speak but decides against it. He’d only end up saying the wrong thing anyway. So he focusses on what he can say to Stark later to get the man to rest and hopefully forget about what happened today.

Because he’s so lost in thoughts, Loki’s feet lead him to the door of the sporting hall. With one last deep breath he pushes open the door, ready to face a seemingly very angry Stark. It couldn’t be any worse than what he’d seen of the man already, right?

But he quickly understands he’s underestimated Stark. The man is hitting a punching bag, sweat dripping from his forehead and back. He nearly shouts whenever his fists make contact with the back, the boxing gloves thudding dully and loudly.

“Well then. You don’t seem any more tired than I am,” Loki says as a greeting when he’s close enough to Stark to be heard.

The man seems less surprised to see him here than Loki was expecting. It looks like the AI may have shared some of its plan with Stark. Or perhaps he was less silent as he walked over to the man than he thought.

Stark merely shrugs his shoulders in response, then resumes pounding away at the bag. It’s his face that makes Loki act. His eyes are almost black, his mouth twisted, the muscles in his cheeks pulled too taut to be comfortable. J.A.R.V.I.S. had been right before, Stark is losing himself.

“Why don’t you go for a more worthy opponent than the bag, Stark? We could spar if you dare. It would be a lot more challenging than hitting an inanimate object over and over again,” Loki says, letting the corners of his mouth turn up slightly.

Stark stares at him for a moment, then nods. Both of them take their position of the thick mat close by. Loki bows, as is custom in Asgard before a sparring match. He knows the Avengers didn’t do this, but he feels making this as different than the sparring matches Stark’s used to as he can will be for the best. Starks returns the bow, and Loki makes the first move.

Stark isn’t bad at all. Loki’s seen him fight before, has seen how he moves and what his strengths are. But he was always wearing his suit, and to see him without it is very different. Stark seems to move even more fluidly, more elegantly. The sheen of sweat still on him adds to Loki’s knowledge that Stark is giving it everything he’s got.

Loki has experience too, and he uses it to make Stark move as much as he can. He plans on keeping this sparring match going as long as he can, tiring Stark out completely. He wants the man to have no choice but to go to sleep for eight hours straight after this. That way the anger will be gone and Stark will feel better when he wakes up. It’s the only way Loki can think of to improve his mood.

After a while, Starks begins to slow. He barely manages to avoid Loki’s knuckles on a few occasions. The man is obviously tired after the long day, the argument and the work out he’s just had. Loki decides that it’s time to wrap this up. He flashes Starks a toothy smile, and before the man can register what’s happening, Loki flies at him. His attack is even more effective than he thought it’d be. He grabs Starks around the waist and tackles him to the ground almost effortlessly.

In a tangle of limbs, Starks trying to get out of Loki’s grip now that his brain’s caught up, they roll to the end of the mat. Loki’s the one to realise that if they don’t stop rolling, Stark’s head will collide with the floor. So he shift his weight this way and that, ending up on top as he ensures the come to a halt.

Both of them are breathing fast. Stark’s legs are of the mat, but his head isn’t. As his chest heaves, he looks straight into Loki’s eyes with an enormous smile on his red face. Loki wouldn’t normally allow people to be this close to him but since Stark doesn’t normally invade his personal space he finds he doesn’t mind as much. He’s still surprised at how comfortable Stark seems to be on top of him though. Enough that it begins to make him squirm slightly.

“You know, Lokes, this would be a much more comfortable position if we were in a bed instead of a mat,” Stark says, his face barely an inch from Loki. His eyebrows are raised rather suggestively.

With all the strength he can muster, Loki succeeds in ignoring the weird butterflies in his stomach. Instead he bends even closer to Starks, his lips almost touching the man’s ear as he whispers his next words.

“I don’t think you could handle me in bad yet, Stark,” and then swiftly stands up and saunters out of the room.

When he reaches his bedroom a little while later, Loki drops onto the bed unceremoniously and groans. What on Midgard is going on here? Did he just return Stark’s flirting? And why is his stomach feeling so weird now? And why has Stark been seemingly propositioning him for weeks now?

Loki rubs a hand over his eyes in despair. What has he gotten himself into this time? And more importantly, why hasn’t he done more to get himself out of this situation?

Loki isn’t entirely sure he truly wants to know the answer to that question. Therefore he simply turns onto his side and tries to go to sleep.


	4. Chapter Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loki finds Tony in his kitchen late one evening. He tries to find out what kind of shenanigans the man's up to this time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I don't own the characters, I'm just borrowing them for fun.

**Chapter Four**

Loki steps out of the shower. He quickly grabs one of the large towels hanging beside the sink and begins drying his hair. The long black tresses are heavy and will take a long while to dry, but perhaps Loki will use some magic if he’s bothered by it later. He never uses the contraption Starks call the hairdryer. The one time he turned it on and felt the uncomfortable warm air he became convinced it would simply ruin his beautiful hair.

Showering has become one of Loki’s favourite things to do in the Tower. Besides smirking whenever Stark has a run-in with his technology or his talks with J.A.R.V.I.S. in the evenings of course.

The reason for that is the collection of soaps and shampoos he discovered in his bathroom soon after he arrived. Some have a floral scent, others a fruity one. But Loki’s favourite is one with an earthy and wood-like scent. It’s the one he’s just used.

For the first time in what seems like forever Loki has nothing planned for the rest of the night. He simply wants to read a little and then go to be early. Honestly, the three months he’s been living in Stark Tower have been very eventful. Stark being injured, lending emotional support to the man, the Rogues visiting and the effect the Civil War has had on the world… Loki thinks he deserved some peace and quiet for a change.

Now dry and with a towel firmly wrapped around his head, Loki slips into a pair of comfortable leggings and a shirt. He’s grown quite used to earth fashion and has begun wearing something like these clothes whenever he is simply staying inside the Tower.

And Loki doesn’t plan on going anywhere. He picks up the book he left on his nightstand yesterday and walks towards the large window sill. There’s a pile of soft pillows there and he sinks down onto them and begins to read.

The book is intriguing enough that Loki is soon emerged in it completely. He forgets all about the world around him and focusses on the words on the pages. Ever since he learnt to read, Loki has used books as an escape.

Suddenly he is pulled out of story by a loud bang. It sounds like a pot or pan falling in the kitchen of what used to be the Avengers’ communal kitchen. But the only other person in the Tower is Anthony Stark. And there’s absolutely no reason why he should be on this floor at this point in time.

It is, after all, a little past eleven at night already. They’ve both eaten dinner already and Stark has his own floor where he has everything he could possibly need. He doesn’t usually leave it unless he visits Loki. And those visits are always arranged up front for some reason, and Loki is normally the one who goes up to Stark’s floor if the man wants to see him.

Loki sighs. Dropping the towel from his head to the floor he gets up and moves to the hallway. He’s gotten relatively used to Stark’s antics and strange habits but that doesn’t mean he’s grown to like them. It seems he’s going to have to have yet another talk with Stark about getting on his nerves.

When he reaches the kitchen, however, he finds a scene he could never have expected. As he predicted there’s pan on the floor. Because Stark is standing sideways in front of the counter Loki can see a smear of flower on his cheek. His t-shirt is hanging halfway out of his pyjama pants, the loose fitting fabric bunching up in places.

Loki concedes the look could be a good one, if only Stark were to be relaxing on the couch. At this point it makes the man look a little manic, especially with the redness spread over his face and neck.

When Loki steps closer, the reason for Stark’s strange behaviour becomes clear. He can smell the alcohol, presumably the Midgardian whiskey the man’s so fond off. Loki thinks the stuff stinks and tastes vile after trying it once.

But that’s the least of his problems right now. The only drunk person Loki’s ever had to deal with is Thor. And his brother is a sleepy drunk who falls asleep as soon as he sits or lies down anywhere. Usually all he needs to do is levitate the great oaf onto his bed. But he’s never seen Stark drunk, he doesn’t know how this is going to go.

Steeling himself, he decides to start a conversation to find that out.

“Stark, what in the name of all things good are you doing here? You couldn’t do this in your own kitchen?” Loki says, a slight growl to his tone.

Most people would think it unwise to speak to a drunk man like this, but Loki just wants to treat him normally. It works in most other situations, and he just thinks it’s common courtesy. Starks always grants him the same, so he sees no reason to do things any differently than usual.

“Loki! I was gonna make pancakes for the both of us and it was easier to do that here,” Starks beams, or at least Loki supposes that’s what he’s doing.

His words are slightly slurred and his cadence is off. But his answer makes sense in away, so Loki thinks it could have been worse. Without much ado he moves forward and picks up the pan. He puts it on the countertop, then turns back to Stark.

“Well, I appreciate the gesture, Stark. But you’re drunk and I don’t think you’re in any shape to cook anything. So why don’t we clean up this mess and get you before you go to bed, huh?” Loki suggests.

Stark opens and closes his mouth several times before any sound finally comes out. When he does, his hand is in his hair and he’s biting his lower lip.

“Uhm… Okay?” he says, half question and half agreement.

Loki hands him a wet rag so he can wipe the countertop and the cupboard while he puts away the pan and the ingredients. Fortunately he got here before things got any worse. As is, it doesn’t take more than ten minutes to clean up both the kitchen and Stark himself. Even though Stark sways slightly throughout the clean-up.

Loki then stirs Stark towards the couch. Once the man’s settled on there, Loki walks to the fridge and gets him a glass of orange juice. He then puts a couple of dry crackers on a plate and takes both of those things to the couch.

“Drink the juice. It’ll help with the inevitable hangover tomorrow. And if you can, you should eat the crackers for the same reason. If not, keep them for breakfast. They might be the only thing your stomach can handle in the morning,” Loki darkly tells him.

Stark obeys immediately, which surprises Loki. The man doesn’t like being handed things and doesn’t trust people easily. Maybe he’s been here long enough that Stark finally realises he won’t poison the man who’s giving him a place to live.

Stark nearly drop the glass when he tries to place it on the table. It’s only Loki’s quick reflexes that prevent that happening. Stark’s eyes are following his every movement, his head slightly cocked to the side. It seems Stark is always entranced by the strangest things so Loki lets it slide and sinks down beside him with his own glass of water.

“Why is it you’re always here to help me when I screw up again? Aren’t you tired of cleaning up after me?” Stark suddenly mumbles, sounding too bitter and being way too hard on himself in Loki’s opinion.

As always when the questions get too personal, Loki is at a loss as to what to say. Therefor he shift positions, placing one leg over the other to pretend he’s simply getting more comfortable before answering.

“Well, J.A.R.V.I.S. would have my hide if I didn’t because he cares for you so much. Second, I’m the only one living here beside you, you big numpty. And third, you’re my friend, Stark. Yes, you heard me right. You’re my friend. Or isn’t that what you call it when you don’t constantly feel like killing the other person anymore?” Loki says.

Stark stares at him for a moment, then smiles. He shifts a little and ends up closer to Loki than before. Loki sits still instead of creating more distance, something he has learnt to do thanks to Stark. The man has a tendency to invade his personal space and Loki deemed it easier to learn to accept it than try to change it.

“I think not wanting to kill someone whenever you see them is a very good reason to call them a friend,” Stark agrees, still with that same slight slur to his words.

They spend the next ten minutes or so in silence as Stark nibbles on one of the crackers and Loki refills the man’s glass with juice. He might be abusing the situation just a little to get more food and fluids into Stark, as the man tends to forget to eat and drink when he’s focussing on an invention. And he has been doing that lately.

However, Loki realises it’s about time to get Stark to bed. It’s nearing twelve now and he’ll need to sleep some of the alcohol off if he wants to be worth anything tomorrow. And Stark’s obviously tired beneath the brave face he’s putting up even in this situation. The question, however, is whether Stark will respond kindly to Loki suggesting he gets some rest. The last thing Loki wants is to start a fight. But he won’t know how Stark will react until he asks, he supposes. _Well_ , he thinks, _here goes nothing…_

“Stark, let’s be honest here for a second. You’re absolutely exhausted after the ridiculous hours you’ve been spending in your lab the last couple of weeks. And there’s no denying you’re very drunk. Why don’t you do the sensible thing and go to bed?” Loki suggests, his voice less hard than it would’ve been even a month ago.

It’s not an order as it would’ve been for anyone else. He really must have become friends with Stark in order to keep this a suggestion. Then again, Stark’s been through a lot in his life and Loki’s never truly wanted to add to that. Tease and annoy even, yes, but never hurt. he has done some growing up these last few years, it seems. Loki smirks to himself a bit as he thinks about that.

Stark cocks his head to the side slightly and stares at him. The silence is different than before, more heavy almost. Loki doesn’t dare break it in fear of starting a fight. Therefore, he meets Stark’s eyes and just sits there until the man is ready to talk again. Which is difficult, as patience is a virtue he has very little of.

“You know, Lokes, you might have a point there. But, uhm… how exactly am I supposed to get to my bedroom?” Stark wants to know.

“What on earth do you mean? This is your Tower, Stark. I’m fairly certain you can find your own bedroom even if you are more than a little inebriated,” Loki points out none too gently, furrowing his brow.

The question seemed so genuine it has taken Loki off guard. He’s beginning to slip back out of his comfort zone and he needs to do something about it quickly. Fortunately, Stark probably won’t remember much of this tomorrow. Part of Loki wishes he would be in the same position come morning. This is just a bit too weird.

Loki’s train of thought is interrupted when Stark suddenly gets up off the couch. When the man takes a few steps in the direction of the door, Loki is forced to rush towards him and grab him around the waist to prevent him from falling. It’s the first time Loki’s been the one to instigate this more personal touch, even if it is only to keep Stark upright, Loki realises. Surely they’ve brushed against each other in passing but the invasions of personal space and true touches have all come from Stark until this point. And now, it almost feels like he’s hugging Stark.

And a tiny tingly feeling in the back of Loki’s mind is telling he’d very much like for this to be a hug. He’s not a touchy-feely kind of man, he leaves that to Stark normally. So why is he actually thinking about willingly hugging Stark? Loki shakes his head. It’s probably because Stark’s been behaving strangely for weeks and they’re friends, he can’t deny he’s been worried about the man. See, it’s nothing but a sign of friendship that for a second he felt like that.

“Alright, it seems I’ll be helping you to bed then,” Loki states, hoisting Stark up slightly higher so he can more comfortably support and guide him.

Stark leans closer into him now, the man’s head coming to rest against his shoulder. Loki smirks. Stark’s touchy-feely and he’s gotten used to it as he mentioned before, but that never stops Loki from teasing him with that. And this is going to perfect for making Stark blush tomorrow morning.

Slowly they make their way towards Stark’s bedroom. J.A.R.V.I.S. is opening all the necessary doors and turning on all the lights they need, making it a lot easier for them to do that. Not for the first time Loki thinks Stark’s life would have been a lot more difficult and quiet without the IA. J, Stark calls him affectionately sometimes. Loki always uses its full name but he thinks J.A.R.V.I.S. understands he sees him as a friend too after all these months living in the Tower.

“We’re here,” Loki says as they enter Stark’s bedroom.

Loki’s a little ill at ease. It’s the first time he’s been here and Stark is drunk. He didn’t say Loki couldn’t enter the room but he’s not a hundred percent capable of giving consent to anything right now. Fortunately Loki isn’t planning on doing anything crazy, so he pulls the man towards the bed and lowers him onto it gently.

He kneels and slips Stark’s feet out of the slippers he’s wearing. Then, he waves at Stark to put his legs on the bed. When the man just stares at him, Loki just picks them up and unceremoniously places them on there himself. Because Stark is already in pyjama’s Loki now pulls at the covers and pushes Stark down onto the pillows before throwing them over the man.

“You need to rest now. I’ll see you tomorrow,” Loki tells him.

When the turns to leave the room, however, Stark grabs his hand. So he faces the man again. Stark’s eyes are fixed on him, his lips curling upward in a slight smile. Loki elegantly raises an eyebrow but doesn’t speak.

“Are you just going to put me to bed and hope I fall asleep? There’s way more interesting ways of doing that…” Stark says, the slur still there.

Loki grins broadly as he squeezes Stark’s hand then takes back his own.

“Stark, I already told you I like a more active partner. Besides, I’d rather you enjoyed yourself if I ever give in to your pleas than just being used as a means of falling asleep,” Loki deadpans.

He then leaves the room as fast as he can without running. He’s pretty sure Stark’s already asleep by the time he steps into the hallway, but Loki himself can’t seem to rest once he gets back to his bedroom.

Maybe it’s time to truly start thinking about Stark’s strange behaviour over the past few months. And about his own unusual reactions to that behaviour. Because he’s now absolutely sure there’s something wrong, with him or Stark or both. And he’s determined to figure it out.


	5. Chapter Five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loki, Anthony, Bruce and Thor are trying to solve a problem together. Nothing could possible go wrong, right? Right?!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I'm only borrowing these characters, I don't own them.

The sound of crying children reaches Loki’s ears. It’s so soft it’s barely audible, but it’s definitely there. By the sudden stiffening of their muscles he can tell Hulk and Thor have heard it as well. Loki’s fingers curl, he grits his teeth. He might be a trickster and many have considered him evil. But there are boundaries, and hurting children in any way is crossing those boundaries.

The building they’re standing in front of it large and very old. It seems strange that it hasn’t collapsed yet, given that the mortar and stones don’t seem to be in the best state. But he has to admit it is a good hiding place. This deserted factory building is out in the middle of nowhere, the nearest town must be twenty miles from here. There would be no one here to see or hear the children being brought here. And the woods surrounding this area would most likely discourage the older children from running away, or they’d never be able to find their way through them and be found eventually.

For a moment the three of them stand there, looking at the enormous entrance gate. They’ve made it this far, now it’s time to free these innocent children and take them back to the city to be with their parents.

“Alright, big guy, you and Thor take the front door. Loki and I’ll the back entrance. Whatever you do, keep them occupied long enough for us to take the children to safety, and then we’ll make sure all of these bastards are dealt with,” Stark says harshly.

“Good plan, Stark. These beasts deserve what’s coming to them,” Thor tells him, lifting Mjolnir and tapping it against his free hand threateningly.

With one last nod of agreement Stark begins to move. Loki is right behind him and they circle the building as fast as they can without doing anything that could get them spotted. They haven’t seen any guards yet but that doesn’t mean there aren’t any. And it wouldn’t be a good idea to lose the element of surprise.

“We’re in position. Go on three. One, two, three!” Stark softy says into the communication’s device.

And then, all hell breaks loose. They burst into the building and are met with a great number of men responding almost immediately to the threat they pose. They’re obviously well trained, their speed and determination speak to that.

Stark and Loki spin around fast, attempting to locate the children while Hulk roars and lunges at one of the men straight away. The distraction is successful, only a few try to get in the way. They’re too busy avoiding Thor and Banner’s alter ego. Loki grins. Part one is going well so far.

He now sees a door to his left across the room and makes for it immediately. Stark flies towards another door at almost the same moment. Loki finds his door locked, so he grabs his staff and cracks the lock. With a satisfying crunch the lock shatters and Loki shoulders open the door.

The room is filled with children of many different ages, and Loki’s glad to see that they look better than he expected. There’s no visible injuries or blood so at least that’s a good thing. With the reputation this group holds, he was expecting the children to be in a very bad state, or for there to even be fatalities. But the worst thing he can see right now is fear because yet another man they don’t know is standing in front of them. Unfortunately there’s no real time to deal with their fears now.

“Stark, the children are behind the door I opened. Get back here as soon as possible, I’m leaving with a couple of them right now,” Loki says into the communication device.

Loki goes for the child closest to him, who must be about seven or eight. He grabs the boy and throws him against his shoulder before doing the same to the girl beside him. He presses their faces against his neck to protect them further. With both of them now securely holding on to him he dashes out.

Dust and screams great him as he enters the first room again, but he ignores it as best he can. He kicks at one of the men wildly when he makes to pull the girl from Loki’s arms and successfully knocks him against the floor. Without waiting to see whether the man gets back up, Loki runs towards the door at full speeds and gets them into the fresh outside air.

He runs a little further before slowing down enough to get to the next step of the plan. He closes his eyes for a moment, concentrating harder than he’s ever done. Using a little magic he levitates himself into the air and transports them to a clearing in the woods straight ahead. Beforehand, they’ve choses this place to gather all the children and Loki has used his magic to make it as safe as possible.

When he puts the boys and girls down they’re crying and in shock. Loki doesn’t like leaving them like this at all, but if they want to have any chance of saving them all from torture and possible death, all of them need to work together. So he crouches down before them and looks them in the eye.

“I know this is scary. But I’ll be back soon with more of your friends. And my friends will come with others as well. So stay here and look out for each other,” he tells them, remembering the things his mother used to tell Thor and him when they were younger.

The girl, who seems to be about four years old, quietly tells him “okay” and then grabs the boy’s hand. Loki sees him squeeze hers and he agrees as well. As satisfied as can be he now walks a little distance away and then uses magic to go back.

The fight is in full swing. Hulk and Thor are throwing men around but there seem to always be more, or they just keep getting up. Stark isn’t there at that time, but that can only mean more children have been saves. Loki uses his ever present staff to hit one of the men over the head so hard he shattered his skull. Loki can’t say he minds, he just ignores the body and grabs another two little ones.

One of them has an arm around his neck so tight it’s hard to breathe. But children have always been a weakness of his so he ignores it and places her beside the other in the clearing. There are tears in a couple of children’s eyes but Loki sees mostly hope now. He smiles at them before disappearing once more.

The fight is getting even worse. There’s blood on the ground, Hulk seems to have a gash across his left hand. But the man doesn’t seem bothered by it too much. Loki grins maniacally when he throws one of the men towards Hulk, who smashes him into the wall in turn.

There are only four more children in the room, they’re almost done. When Stark gets back he’ll take the last two and let Hulk and Thor know everything’s done and that they’re ready to leave.

So for the last time Loki runs into the room and picks up two children. By now they’ve seen this happening so often that he doesn’t have to put their faces against his neck to protect them from the horrors outside. He doesn’t even have to lift much, they almost jump into his arms before he’s had the time to bend down.

Stark suddenly appears, much sooner than before, to grab the other two. Together, Loki and Stark make the trip to the clearing. Loki’s heart is racing. They’ve managed it, they’ve saved all of these children. All there is to do now is bring them back to their parents. He has to admit this feel very good.

“Stark, Loki, we have some problems here. Something extremely weird is going, I think it may be magic. We need your expertise, Loki,” Thor suddenly calls out over the line.

“That must’ve been hard to admit, brother. Don’t worry, we shall come back and I will save you once again,” Loki mocks him.

With one last look over at the children, he and Stark take off towards the factory building. And before they reach it, Loki smells something completely off. It’s something that vaguely reminds him of burnt rubber but with a hint of sage, perhaps, as well as very old wood.

“Thor’s right, something’s off and it’s probably magical. But I can’t say anything more than that yet,” Loki tells Stark as he speeds up.

Finally Thor and Hulk come into view. Before they can speak to them, however, a man appear seemingly out of nowhere. Loki senses the power radiating off him and begins to raise a shield that he plans to expand to include all four of them. But as fast Loki is, it’s not fast enough. An enormous blast suddenly resonates and he’s thrown from his position. He can see the same things happening to the others, but before he can register anything more he collides with the ground so harshly everything turns black…

When Loki wakes up again, he finds out he’s not too severely injured. His back hurts a little and will probably be bruised but other than that he has no physical injuries. But his troubles are far from over he soon discovers. And time has the uncanny ability to pass by more rapidly when you would like for it to slow down.

Loki shakes the water out of his eyes. The rain has been pouring down for half an hour and shows no sign of letting up. Normally such ordinary things as the weather don't bother him. But right now he has little choice but to care.

After all, he's kneeling beside Stark on the muddy ground, shielding him from the rain as much as possible by using his body. The man has managed to get himself injured again. And this time it looks sever. Loki has to concede it's the worst he's ever seen Stark look.

There's blood trickling down the side of Anthony's... Stark's face. A dark bruise is starting to form on the right side of his face. His lip is split, one of his teeth having cut it before. And the worst thing is that Loki's having trouble keeping Stark awake.

His injuries are obviously more severe than Loki realised at first. And that is a big problem. When they were under attack before their communication devices were damaged. There’s no way to contact Thor or Banner (Hulk, Loki supposes at this time) and tell them about Stark.

And even more, whatever happened before seems to have affected his seidr. He had tried to gather his power to lift Stark and get them both to safety but had been forced to admit defeat. And he can’t concentrate enough of his power to even protect them from the rain. He’s furious that this is happening, his seidr has never failed him before. Why has it chosen to do so now of all times?

Loki roughly shakes his head. There’s no point wasting time thinking about that. What he needs to do it go over the battle they were involved in, find out if he can determine what it is that’s interfering with his magic so he can try to stop it. If that fails it could be hours before the others find them, if they themselves haven’t been too seriously injured. There’s no way he can get Stark out of here safely on his own.

Unfortunately, he can’t count on J.A.R.V.I.S. this time either. Loki’s tried reaching out via his own come piece and Stark’s helmet, which is lying beside the man. But the connection with the AI seems to have been severed. Whether that’s to do with the damage to the suit or the blast, Loki doesn’t know.

“Stark, come on. You have to wake up. I need to know exactly how severe your injuries are and you’re the only one who can tell me. Stark! Anthony, wake up!” Loki implores, a hint of anger seeping into his voice.

“You’ve… never… called me Anthony before…” Stark suddenly breathes.

Loki nearly falls back but prevents it just in time. His heart is soaring now that Stark’s finally awake. He immediately focusses on the man’s face, specifically his eyes. At first glance his pupils seem reactive to light and equal in size. That’s positive.

“Well, if calling you Anthony is the only things that can bring you back to consciousness I might have to do it more often to see what other effects it has,” Loki says, quite harshly but he knows the gratefulness is still audible in there too.

“Hmm.. Not a bad… idea, Reindeer Games,” Stark says quietly, his eyes closing for a second too long for Loki’s liking.

Stark’s voice is too soft and broken too Loki’s liking. It’s obvious talking is taking up a lot of energy. There’s no way Loki is letting him close his eyes again, though. And keeping him talking is the only way Loki can ensure Stark will stay awake. Also, he’ll be able to gather more information that way as well.

“Enough with the names already, St… Anthony. Tell me about your injuries. What hurts, doesn’t feel right or is wrong? And no omitting anything or I shall most certainly have your hide for it,” Loki warns him.

“My head… is positively pounding. I can see… but not quite as well as normally… Everything’s… a little blurred I suppose. My back and ribs are twinging… but the suit took most of the blast. That… that’s all of it,” Anthony lists off as requested.

Loki gratefully inclines his head in acknowledgement. It seems things are rather severe, there’s definitely a concussion going on here. But there don’t seem to be any breaks or any bloody injuries. The only thing Loki can’t say for sure is that the concussion isn’t accompanied by a bleed on the brain. Despite the still reactive and equal pupils, there could be a small brain bleed going on that could be worsening as time passes.

“Well. You’re obviously in no immediate mortal danger. I still want to get out of here as soon as possible though. But I can’t reach the others, and I don’t feel comfortable leaving you here alone to search for them. Anthony, is there any chance you can connect with J.A.R.V.I.S. or find another means of communication?” Loki wants to know.

It’s a lot to ask in this situation, but Loki really needs his help in this. He definitely should have paid more attention whenever he snuck into Anthony’s lab and he showed off his skills. And he needs to keep the man talking. It’ll help him to see of things get worse.

“I’ll… I’ll try… If the suit isn’t too badly… damaged… I might be able to pull something off…” Anthony breathes.

Loki watches as Anthony carefully moves one of his hands, then a foot. Loki moves as close to him as he can in case anything goes wrong. Not that he thinks he’ll be able to do much, but at least it makes him feel better. Anthony seems determined to figure out how much of the suite is operational, and Loki just hopes this will work.

“It’s… bad. Sorry… I can’t… connect with… J right now… I can control…. The suit by my own… commands but nothing else…”

Anthony falls silent again then, and Loki is really starting to become worried. He closes his eyes and attempts to gather his powers once more. He feels them bubbling beneath the surface, but they slip through his fingers the second he thinks he’s got a hold of them. No matter what he tries, his seidr doesn’t respond.

Fortunately, luck seems to finally be on his side because all of a sudden he hears Thor call out for them.

“We’re here, brother!” Loki shouts, not caring that he isn’t behaving at all like his usual self. All he wants is help at this point.

Thor crashes onto the ground. It seems he’s used Mjolnir to help him cover more ground. Not too far behind him Loki now hears the sound of Hulk’s large feet, telling him the green creature is approaching more quickly then he thought at first.

Anthony’s drifting in and out of consciousness again by now, so Loki explains everything he can. And because the suit is of no use, everyone agrees Hulk should carry Stark to the pain they used to get here. In there, J.A.R.V.I.S. will be able to assist them and he can fly them home without much trouble.

With the help of Mjolnir Thor reaches the plane first and is able to have J.A.R.V.I.S. start the engine and help him set up a place for Stark to be placed in. When Hulk and Loki arrive, all the mean green rage machine has to do is place Stark on something which resembles a cross between a couch and a table and a bed.

“Get me some water so I can clean him up a bit. We need to see exactly how bad things are,” Loki tells his brother.

With a nod, Thor disappears. Hulk does the same, and Loki realises that’s probably because Banner is about to come back out and the scientist likes to change back into his normal clothes as soon as possible. He’s also always quite exhausted after a transformation so he might have no choice but the lay down.

“Welcome back to the land of the living, Anthony. We’re on the plane and your AI is about to take off and fly us home,” Loki informs Anthony when the man’s eyes flicker open all of a sudden.

Anthony smiles and with much effort reaches for Loki’s hand. Not caring that his brother or doctor Banner could return at any moment Loki closes his fingers around Anthony’s. Well, around the suit at least. But at this time it’ll have to do.

“You saved my life. Again. You… you’re amazing… Lokes… The only… thing that would make you… even more amazing… is if you’d finally… let me convince you to… sleep with me… You know, as pain relief….” Anthony smiles at him.

“And as I’ve told you so many times before, _Anthony_ , you won’t be able to keep up with me right now so I’ll have to pass,” Loki retorts.

And at that moment Thor appears and the conversation comes to an end. But Loki still replays it over and over again in his head by the time they’re back at Stark Tower and it’s time to go to bed.


	6. Chapter Six

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anthony's invited Loki over for dinner and a movie. Loki has plans, but will he be able to make everything happen as he wants to?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: The final chapter is up, after real life and me being unhappy with what I've written have been trowing a great spanner in the works. Hopefully you'll all enjoy it!
> 
> Disclaimer: I own nothing, I'm just borrowing these amazing characters.

**Chapter Six**

Loki is standing in front of the mirror in his bedroom, brushing his long black hair. He’s wearing a pair of black trousers and a soft green sweatshirt. He’s chosen it because Anthony told him when he wore it the first time that it brings out the colour of his eyes.

And he’s about to have dinner and watch a movie with Anthony. That morning J.A.R.V.I.S. asked Loki to join his ‘Sir’ at seven that evening and explained what they’d be doing. Loki had immediately agreed.

After all, he has a plan. Almost for as long as he’s been living in the Tower Anthony’s been propositioning him. At first it was downright terrifying, then Loki sort of got used to it. But lately, he’s realised that Anthony might not have been joking around as he’d believed all that time. He’s noticed that they touch each other more frequently and more freely. They’ve started to spend most of their free time together in the last two months as well, and Loki goes down to Anthony’s lab for at least an hour every day.

In fact, he’s even started to gather a collection of books there since most of his evening are spent there now. Anthony doesn’t even look up anymore when he wanders in, nor does he complain when Loki stares at him as he works. Loki’s even been involved in some of the work, albeit just by handing Anthony things and making sure he rests enough to be able to properly concentrate.

And he’s been cooking for the two of them quite often, even though he usually just takes a plate down to Anthony’s lab for the man to eat after he’s finished his dinner and realises Anthony still isn’t on his own floor yet.

But the most obvious thing telling him something has changed is the fact he now constantly and comfortably refers to Stark as Anthony. They’re on a first-name basis, it’s not just Anthony calling him Loki or even Lokes anymore. When they rescued those children three months ago was when Loki started doing that and he hasn’t gone back since. He hasn’t _wanted_ to go back since, truth be told.

Because Loki has realised something. He is most definitely, undeniably and completely in love with Anthony Stark. The man doesn’t judge him just on all the bad decision he’s ever made and the horrible things he’s done. He also takes into consideration his remorse, how he’s changed and what his intentions were. Not even Thor or his mother have ever done that.

Tonight, Loki wants to tell Anthony that. Even though he knows it could jeopardise the friendship they’ve managed to build if he’s simply read all the sign wrong. But he needs to know for sure whether they feel the same way. It’s been exhausting these last weeks to hide the exact extend of his feeling, he either needs to be all in or pull back. He can’t be torn in two like this any longer or he’ll burst.

“Sir’s ready for you, mister Loki. He says you can come over a little early if you want to,” J.A.R.V.I.S. suddenly says from above Loki’s head.

“Tell your sir I’ll there in a few minutes, I’m leaving immediately,” Loki tells the AI.

He then combs his fingers through his hair one more time to calm his nerves. Whatever happens, he needs to have all the answers. He’s never let fear dictate his life and he’s not about to start now. And it speaks to how much he’s changed that he actually thinks it wouldn’t be fair on Tony either to keep the extent of his feelings hidden from him.

Without further ado Loki leaves his rooms. As always, J.A.R.V.I.S. has the elevator arrive at the perfect moment, so Loki can step right in. The AI is already sending the elevator to the right floor before Loki has the chance to press the button. He sends J.A.R.V.I.S. a smile to thank him.

Before he can knock on Anthony’s door, it swings open to reveal the man himself. He’s smiling brightly, his dark hair standing slightly on edge, as if he’s recently ruffled through it. Anthony ushers Loki inside, and the Asgardian steps through the door immediately.

“I hope you’re hungry, Lokes, because the food will be ready soon. But I’ll need your help to finish it,” Anthony says as he gestures for Loki to follow him to the kitchen.

On the table there’s three candles alongside the plates and glasses. They’re wine glasses but there’s no wine as far as Loki can tell. Anthony’s taken to drinking a lot less alcohol so that might be why. In fact, he hasn’t seen Anthony touch any alcohol at all in the last four months.

“I was hoping you wouldn’t mind some home-made pizza. I bought dough and lots of different things to put on so you can make your own unique one. It’s supposed to be better than the ones you order so I wanted to try it out,” Anthony explains.

His cheeks are reddening slightly. It’s obvious he isn’t entirely sure Loki would like doing this for dinner. That’s ridiculous because Anthony knows he loves cooking and baking. Loki’s bakes cakes and cookies and has tried out many recipes that he’s had Anthony give his opinion on.

“I’d love that. Let’s get started,” Loki smiles, quickly grabbing Anthony’s hand and squeezing it for a second.

Before long they’re sitting at the table putting sauce, cheese and whatever topping they fancy onto their pizza dough. They quickly slide them into the oven and set a timer to take them out once they’re ready.

While that’s happening, they put the left-over cheese and such back in the fridge. Loki’s fluttering nerves are calming down now that he’s here and things are as normal as they’ve ever been. Things are going well, for a change.

Anthony lights the candles a minute or two before the pizzas are done. Loki pours them both a glass of alcohol-free wine. J.A.R.V.I.S. takes the liberty of turning on the radio for some background noise while Anthony pulls the food from the oven and puts their plates on the table.

It’s wonderful, slightly romantic and Loki enjoys this a lot. He’s not entirely sure Anthony is aware of exactly how this looks, but he likes it none-the-less. And the fact Anthony is joking and enjoying himself too makes it even better.

When they start clearing off the table after dinner, Anthony opens his mouth to say something but decided against it. Loki watches him thoroughly and sees it happen a few more times. There’s nothing making Loki worry, the way Anthony is behaving has him convinced the man will tell him eventually.

In the end, he’s right. When everything has been washed and dried, Anthony grabs Loki’s arm and drags him to the couch without saying a word. But as soon as Loki’s comfortably seated, he begins to talk.

“Okay, so you said I could choose the movie for tonight. But the only movie I felt like watching was Pride and Prejudice and Zombies…” he groans, covering his face with his hand for a second.

And Loki understand Anthony was unsure and slightly embarrassed to have chosen that particular movie. Completely unnecessary, of course. From the things Loki has heard about it, he’d quite like to see it.

“Well then, I suggest we go and watch Pride and Prejudice and Zombies then. I’m quite looking forward to watching a movie with you for the first time,” Loki smiles.

He hopes the admission will pave the way for more to come as well as calm Anthony down enough to stop worrying. And he’s telling the truth, he is looking forward to this. Anthony and he have worked together, have had hour-long conversations about pretty much any topic, they’ve gone on walks when Anthony was too wound up to sleep and they’ve had drinks. But they’ve never watched a movie together.

“Alright then. You should get comfortable on the couch while I get our dessert. I think you’ll like it,” Anthony beams at him.

Loki does as he’s told. The first thing he does is toe off his shoes. He then props himself up against one of Anthony’s many pillows and finds a blanket to throw over himself. For some reason he likes the almost insignificant weight of the fabric while he reads or watches television.

Soon, Anthony returns with two small plates. When he’s handed his, Loki finds it’s filled with a still warm brownie, a scoop of ice cream and some chocolate sauce which is also warm. He hums happily in response and Anthony now sits down on the other end of the couch. The man tucks his bare feet under him to get comfortable.

“J.A.R.V.I.S., you can start the movie,” he says.

And then, they both tuck in as they watch. Loki lets his focus be entire on the screen and the story as he eats the delicious dessert. Slowly, he moves closer to Anthony. He doesn’t realise it until he touches Anthony’s foot which is still on the couch.

Anthony doesn’t react at all, he just stares at the screen engrossed. He slowly licks some crumbles from his spoon and seems absolutely at ease. So Loki simply stays where he is and decides to let it all happen. It’s exciting to be so close to Anthony and be allowed there.

When they’re both done eating about halfway through the movie Loki grabs both of their plates and puts them on the coffee table. As he sits back, Anthony shifts positions unexpectedly and Loki finds the man’s feet on his lap. For a second he tenses, thinking that the moment will have to end now, they’ll have to have the talk about Loki’s feelings right now even though he’s not completely ready yet. The words he needs are still too unclear, too far away.

But if possible, Anthony sinks down even further and gets even closer to Loki. The Asgardian can’t help but smile at that. Whenever Anthony shows that he trusts him, it warms his heart. Which is strange to realise after so many years of being accused of not having a heart at all.

Before long, Anthony’s feet are on Loki’s lap. Normally he would consider this strange or even a gross violation of his privacy. But now, he just puts his hand on one of Anthony’s ankles and rubs circles into the skin with his thumbs.

Anthony almost purrs at that. Loki can’t help but smile at the sound the man’s making to show his enjoyment. He tucks this new information away for future reference; anything he knows about Anthony could come in handy one day.

Loki sinks down even further into the couch as the last half an hour of the movie starts. He hasn’t slept well or much the last few weeks, without any good reason. He’s a little tired but not so much as to make him start to doze off at this time of night. So he tries to focus on the movie, shaking his head slightly to get rid of the fatigue.

In the end Loki holds Anthony’s ankle loosely and rests his head against the couch, his legs tucked underneath him rather strangely. He’s pretty sure it wouldn’t look comfortable to anyone else but it’s the perfect position according to him.

He’s completely at ease and he’s enjoying himself, so he thinks he can live with that. He stopped caring about what others think of him at a very young age. For Anthony he’s made an exception, though. He wants to do his best for Anthony, to be a good person for him. He thinks that’s the reason he’s managed to behave himself as well as he has for as long as he has.

Loki finds it strange to realise though that Anthony isn’t the only reason for the change. He’s come to understand that he’s been changing for years; the bubbling unease underneath he surface he’s had to deal with for the past few decades was never quenched, by anything he did. Until he admitted he wasn’t the same person he used to be anymore. Until he embraced the softer side of him, which he’d always denied was there. And without Anthony he wouldn’t have found the courage.

He squeezes Anthony’s ankle a little more tightly for a second, then calms his mind. The movie is coming to an end now and that means he has one more thing to do to hopefully make this the best evening he’s ever had.

He expects Anthony to turn off the movie but the man doesn’t move. Puzzled, he shifts ever so slightly and looks down to find out why. To his surprise Anthony’s just staring at the screen without moving.

There’s no sign of pain, discomfort or anything else that worries Loki. Anthony seems to simply be lost in thought. But it is strange and Loki doesn’t know whether to bring him back to reality or give him some more time. Or how much time he should give Anthony if that’s the option he chooses.

Fortunately he doesn’t have to decide anything because Anthony moves after a mere two minutes. He slowly hoist himself up, smiling a little at Loki before reaching for his glass and going to the kitchen to refill it. Loki leans against one side of the couch, facing the kitchen now.

Anthony’s back soon, he’s still smiling at Loki. And for some reason Loki can now see the bags beginning to form beneath his eyes. He knows Anthony’s prone to periods of little sleep and he guesses this has been one of those. Not one that’s lasted too long yet, by the looks of it though. He sighs inwardly; he might have to change his plans for the night just a little.

“I really enjoyed myself tonight, Anthony. The movie was wonderful, as was the food. And of course the company made it all even better. But it’s getting quite late and you look rather tired, Anthony. I think I should go. I can always come back tomorrow to talk about some more movies we’d both like to see,” Loki suggests.

“I’d like to find more movies to watch together, so yeah, come on over tomorrow! Are you sure you have to go already, though? We could have some coffee and talk some more,” Anthony says.

His pleading does pull at Loki’s heartstrings, he’s close to taking him up on the offer. Here in Midgard they always say things happen for a reason. But he bites his tongue. Anthony needs to rest, and they’re meeting again tomorrow. One more night won’t be the end of the world.

“I’m sure, yes. You should go to bed and I’ll see you tomorrow,” Loki confirms, softly taking a hold of Anthony’s hand and squeezing it.

Together, they walk towards the door. When they open it, J.A.R.V.I.S. turns on the hallway light. Loki thinks he probably had the elevator ready for him to get into as well. He appreciates it, as he always does. J.A.R.V.I.S. really is very perceptive for an artificial intelligence. Loki’s by now very fond of him.

“Goodnight, Anthony. Sleep well,” Loki says.

“Goodnight, Lokes. You sleep well too,” Anthony responds.

When Loki steps into the hallway, he’s struck with the desire to stand still and turn around. He doesn’t quite understand why for a second, but then the realisation hits him like a ton of bricks. As he turns to face Anthony again, he finds he’s right on time to stop the man shutting the door.

“Wait! You’re not even going to ask?” he all but blurts out, grabbing a hold of the door and pushing it open a little further.

“Going to ask what?” Anthony asks him, his face puzzled and his eyebrows raised.

Loki opens and closes his mouth a few times, like a fish trying to breathe out of the water. But eventually he manages to pour into words exactly what he needs to say.

“The last few months you’ve been asking me to sleep with you at emotional times. After injuries mostly, physical and mental both. And I thought… I was sure that you were going to ask me again tonight, even though there wasn’t any mental or physical pain to make you. I was beginning to think you weren’t just doing it for fun but because you really wanted to. I thought that that’s why you asked me over for dinner and a movie. I had even thought about every way I could have responded… So…” Loki’s voice dies away.

For more than a full minute, the both of them just stand there staring at each other. The silence is nearly deafening. Then, slowly, Anthony steps closer to him. They’re so close together he can feel the man’s body heat and smell his unique scent.

“I didn’t ask because I thought you’d turn me down again, like you had every time before. I thought you just wanted to be friends. Are you sure you want to be more than friends? Are you sure you want me to ask?” Anthony demands, his voice low and slightly gravelly, one of his hands coming to rest on Loki’s chest.

Loki covers Anthony’s hand with his own. How could he have been so foolish? He should’ve had more faith in Anthony, and even in himself, and just have asked about Anthony’s true feelings. But he is also very glad that they’re finally opening up about their hearts’ desire.

“Yes, Anthony. Please ask me again,” Loki says in barely more than a whisper.

There’s a sudden twinkle in Anthony’s eye, his fatigue seems far less noticeable now. The smile on his face warms Loki’s heart so much that Loki can’t help but smile just as radiantly back at him.

“Will you please sleep with me, Loki?” Anthony asks, moving even closer so that his warm breath ghosts over Loki’s lips.

“I’d be delighted to,” Loki answers immediately.

And then, he closes the almost non-existent gap between them and seals his lips over Anthony’s in their first kiss.

That night, many more kisses are exchanged between them and many more words are spoken. And they sleep together like they’ve both been willing to do for months. And Loki thinks that maybe this time he owns his brother a thank you for making him do something he didn’t want to. Because without Thor’s meddling he would never have spent enough time with Anthony to realise he is the love of his life.


End file.
